By Selloane Ntshonyane
- The National Financial Ombud Scheme recovered R7.47 million for consumers in 2025, more than three times the R2.36 million returned the previous year.
- Complaints against credit providers jumped 58% in a single year, from 1,979 in 2024 to 3,126 in 2025, with most decided in consumers’ favour.
A consumer’s vehicle sat at a dealership while the debt on it kept growing. The credit provider had no court order allowing it to hold the car. It held it anyway.
When the National Financial Ombud Scheme investigated, it found the vehicle had been kept without legal authority. The credit provider was ordered to write off the full debt and remove the adverse credit listing from the consumer’s record.
That case is one of thousands the NFO dealt with in 2025. The scheme recovered R7.47 million for consumers during the year, up from R2.36 million in 2024. Complaints jumped 58%, from 1,979 to 3,126.
Six in ten complaints against credit providers were decided in favour of the consumer.
Nerosha Maseti, Lead Ombud for Banking and Credit at the NFO, said the numbers point to a pattern that goes beyond isolated mistakes.
“This is not a statistical quirk; it signals a troubling pattern. Too often, credit providers prioritise profit over fairness, and in doing so, some sidestep the due legal processes meant to protect borrowers,” she said.
In another case handled by the NFO, a consumer who missed three monthly instalments had their repayment term extended by 24 months. The NFO found the extension was excessive. The credit provider eventually agreed to close the account and issue a paid-up letter.
Store cards and retail accounts generated the most complaints. Consumers raised issues including disputed settlements, charge reversals, fraud listings without evidence, and credit providers that kept adding charges after accounts had already been handed over for debt collection.
Maseti said many consumers do not know they can challenge a credit provider’s decision.
“Consumers who suspect a credit provider has not followed the law should seek help through the Ombud rather than assume nothing can be done,” she said.
To lodge a complaint, visit the NFO at www.nfosa.co.za or call 0860 800 900.
Pictured above: A past due notice sits on a kitchen counter alongside a calculator and household items. The National Financial Ombud recovered R7.47 million for South African consumers in 2025 after credit providers broke the rules.
Image source: Pexels
